As Terry said yesterday, it all starts with raising readers. By surrounding children with text and stories, we are helping them blossom into the readers they can and should be. So maybe yesterday you decided to set aside some time every day or so to read with your children. But now you are overwhelmed- where do you begin? How do you find books to read? How do you know what books your child will enjoy sharing with you?

Today’s bloggers have fantastic ideas and suggestions for selecting reading material for different age groups. Whether you need booklists, story ideas for pre-readers, help selecting books for middle graders, or ways to incorporate your love of non-fiction into read-aloud time, there is something for everyone today. So grab a cup of coffee, maybe a snack, and sit back to enjoy the amazing posts today. We even have some giveaways for you!

ReadKiddoReadfrom James Patterson- Author James Patterson was a reluctant reader himself. His new website is full of great booklists, readalikes, and suggestions for kids. A great website for parents, teachers, and kids!

Do you have suggestions for selecting reading material? Throughout the day, I’ll be reading through the comments to post ideas here. If you have written a post, please be sure to put your link in the comment. We invite you to visit the Share a Story – Shape a Future blog to get the event image to add to your post.

image credit: Author/illustrator Elizabeth Dulemba created the Share a Story – Shape a Future logo.

I try to read to my kids at least 20 minutes every night. When it comes to finding material, I try to find books that are humorous but educational – my kids seem to pay attention better if there is humor and something for them to relate to in the story. For example tonight I read a great educational book to them on the subject of gastroenteritis titled, “The Moose with Loose Poops.” This is the latest in the Dr. Hippo Series and is far and away the best book I have ever seen dealing with childhood illness: the subject is challenging but handled with whimsy, wit and warmth. My kids could relate to the book because they had recently suffered from the stomach flu (they felt bad for the little sick moose), but they also loved the beautiful illustrations.